Review

British character actors steal all the glory

The Review Show; Endeavour; The Politician’s Husband; The Wright Way

The Review Show, formerly Newsnight Review, has either been promoted or
demoted, depending on how you watch TV. It has split from its parent
­programme, Newsnight, and, like an arty amoeba, floated off to BBC4, the
worthy-intentions channel that isn’t watched by anyone, or hardly anyone. It
gleans a dogged audience from those who think everything on television is
crap, baby­sitters who can’t work the Sky remote and quadriplegic
motorcyclists whose wives are still furious with them. BBC4 has a strap
under its station ident boasting that it’s the “HD Channel of the Year”.
That’s embarrassing. Is there an award for analogue channel of the year? Or
channel best watched in black-and-white? I think I’m going to put Nearly
Critic of the Year under my byline (in brackets: Almost as good as Craig
Brown).

In its new semi-detached home, The Review Show has a bigger garden, more
space, more time.